Manchester United have named Wayne Rooney as their new captain.
The England international, 28, replaces Nemanja Vidic, who has left the club for Inter Milan , while Darren Fletcher has been named as vice-captain.
Rooney will skipper United in the Premier League opener with Swansea at Old Trafford on 16 August.
“It is a huge honour and a role I will perform with great pride,” said Rooney. “I am very grateful to the manager for the faith he has shown in me.”
Rooney – confirmed as captain after the 2-1 friendly win over Valencia on Tuesday night – was one of the favourites for the job once Patrice Evra also asked to leave.
| Wayne Rooney’s career at Manchester United |
| August 2004: 18-year-old Rooney signs for Manchester United from Everton in a £27m deal |
| September 2004: Scores his first senior hat-trick on his United debut in a 6-2 victory over Fenerbahce in the Champions League |
| November 2006: Signs a two-year extension to his United contract until 2012 |
| August 2009: Scores his 100th United goal, against Wigan Athletic in the Premier League |
| April 2010: Named Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year |
| October 2010: Issues a statement saying he wants to leave United, before changing his mind days later and signing a new contract |
| May 2013: Manager Sir Alex Ferguson drops Rooney from the final home game of the season against Swansea City, claiming the England striker had asked for a transfer |
| September 2013: Becomes the fourth person to score 200 goals for United with his double in the 4-2 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen, matching the achievements of Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and Jack Rowley. |
| February 2014: Signs a new four-year contract worth around £300,000 a week which will keep him at Old Trafford club until the end of the 2018-19 season |
| August 2014: Appointed the new captain of Manchester United by manager Louis van Gaal |
